Great News On Concorde!!!!!!!!

BA hopes to keep Concorde flying at air displays!

From the times on line.

CONCORDE will continue to fly alongside other historic aircraft such as Spitfires at air displays after it is taken out of service this year, British Airways said yesterday.

The airline plans to keep at least one of the supersonic jets operational to be displayed as a museum exhibit. Concorde will mark the end of its commercial service with a series of flights around the country. The retirement of the fleet marks the end of an era of luxury travel at twice the speed of sound. Up to 20 special fly-pasts are planned, plus a trip around the coast of Britain.

After Concorde’s final flight, six of the seven jets will be grounded. The other is likely to be kept operational at Filton airport near Bristol, where a Concorde first took off from British soil on April 9, 1969. It could then be used to fly alongside Second World War aircraft at air shows.

Mike Bannister, Concorde’s Chief Pilot, who will pilot the last official flight, said: “One of the things we have been contemplating is whether Concorde can be used in a heritage role. Concorde is very much more complex than other vintage aircraft still flying, which is one issue, as is the operating licence needed to take her up on occasions. But it is something we are pursuing.”

Concorde’s commercial licence is expected to expire at the end of October. BA has received more than 40 applications from museums and institutions, such as the Smithsonian in Washington and Duxford airfield, Cambridgeshire, to take the jets.

Farewell flights will operate during October, in the run-up to the final commercial flight to New York on October 24 or 25. Tickets for the farewell flights may be free, with BA considering a competition to give away hundreds of tickets. Most will be in and around Britain, with others to and around America. One being seriously mooted is a round-Britain flight, first suggested by Cath Urquhart in Times Travel on April 26.

Concorde made its last commercial flight for Air France on May 31. Air France and BA were the only carriers to operate the aircraft. The end was hastened by a crash minutes after take-off from Paris in July 2000, in which 113 people were killed. Falling demand for seats after September 11 meant that the luxury jets became too expensive to operate.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,175-705472,00.html